Thursday, 5 January 2012

Malawi: Pressure mounts on President Mutharika to resign

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Tuesday, 27 December 2011 14:23

By Ulemu Teputepu

Opposition parties in Malawi has called a has called upon President Bingu wa Mutharika to resign or face immediately saying he has failed to provide a rescue plan for Malawi. The call was made by Alliance for Democracy (Aford) National Chairperson Enock Chihaning The call comes after Malawi is facing economic Challenges such as shortage of fuel, foreign exchange and increase in food prices.

This comes after Malawi is facing economic Challenges such as shortage of fuel, foreign exchange and increase in food prices.

According to Malawi online newspaper Nyasa Times Chihana made the scathing call during a public rally he addressed at the Katoto Freedom Park in Mzuzu on Friday.

“Where is this country going with this person ? We know where we are coming from but Mutharika is leading this country into highway to hell,” Chihana said.

Other opposition parties and Malawians are supporting Chihana’s idea saying it’s the only move to rescue Malawi from bad governance economic challenges.

But presidential spokesperson Heatherwick Ntaba said Mutharika is the best President in Africa and cannot stand-down. “Why should he resign? The problems Malawi is facing are globally,” Ntaba claimed.

Chihana said Mutharika must publicly take responsibility of the problems Malawi is facing and provide a timetable of how he intends to solve these problems.

“If he fails to do this he must call for a Government of National Unity or resign. It’s simple. He should not take Malawi as his personal farm or estate. Malawi belongs to all of us. We only employed him,” Chihana said.

He said Mutharika has created enmity with Malawi’s neighbours because he is a person who could not be advised.

“Look at Zambia, Mozambique and even Tanzania. We cannot afford to live in isolation because we are a landlocked country,” he said.

Chihana, son to fallen pro-democrcay activist Chakufwa Chihana, said Malawi will economically slide into another Zimbabwe if Mutharika does not step down.

“The problems we have here mirror those of Zimbabwe. I am reliably informed that government has printed a MK1000 note and that the IMF has demanded that our currency be devalued by 40 percent. These are sad developments,” Chihana said.